Israeli Foods Invade America

Israeli products are gobbled up by 6 million Americans, regardless of their religious observance, Kosher Today reports.

By Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu

First Publish: 11/22/2011, 5:04 PM

Osem's Bamba

Osem

Israeli products are gobbled up by 6 million Americans, regardless of their religious observance, Kosher Today reports, and approximately one million U.S. consumers observe kosher dietary laws all year.

Izzet Ozdogan, CEO of the American division of Israel-based Osem food products, told the bi-weekly newsletter at the annual Kosherfest that Americans are attracted to Israel’s brand names, such as Osem, Sugat, Elite, Telma, Wisotzky, and Pereg.

Kosher food has made its way into Macy's New York's De Gustibus cooking school as certified kosher food becomes more popular. De Gustibus offers classes by well-known chefs from around the country, teaching preparation of meals paired with suitable selections of wines.

Salvatore Rizzo, who runs the cooking school, told Kosher Today, “We will only accept chefs that prepare their foods in kosher certified kitchens. We also kosher the kitchen here, require a mashgiach [supervisor of kosher dietary laws] to be present during the course and use only paper and plastics." More than 80 students have shelled out $95 for the course, given once every six months.

The kosher food fad has not escaped the attention of other countries hungry for tourism.

A recent “Shalom Buenos Aires” program trained tourism industry workers on the needs of kosher travelers, and the city published a special brochure and map with a listing of synagogues, kosher establishments and hotels that cater to kosher travelers.

For those interested, Buenos Aires is home to McDonald’s only Glatt Kosher [a more stringent kosher standard for meat, ed.] restaurant.